Getting the chance to talk to Mr. Met still has my inner 6-year-old all freaked out.

Few mascots are as iconic and loved by their fanbase as Mr. Met is by the Mets faithful. So to talk to AJ Mass, former Mr. Met, was an absolute thrill. He wrote a book about his experiences, which has to be one of the coolest and most interesting sports books in a long, long time.

It's one of those worlds that no one ever really thinks about; it's a guy in a suit, dancing on a dugout and taking photos with kids and maybe even launching a projectile out of a T-shirt cannon that will careen into your $13 soda and splash it all over the angry-looking guy in front of you. But it's also an awesomely weird and fascinating world, and Mass' book 'Yes, It's Hot in Here: Adventures in the Weird, Woolly World of Sports Mascots' not only recounts his experiences as a mascot, but also those of many other popular mascots throughout the world of sports.

It was a lot of fun to talk to him about how one becomes a mascot, Mr. Met groupies, and the time the Secret Service intimidated the heck out of him with snipers.

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